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PIA News Service - Thursday, May 10, 2012

OWWA-Caraga inks MOA with LGUs, academe

By Danilo S. Makiling

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) -– With the 30th
anniversary celebration of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA),
the regional welfare office here in Caraga region has inked a memorandum of
agreement (MOA) with local government units (LGUs) and academe as partners in
giving quality education to students of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

According to OWWA-Caraga Regional Director
Marietta Lumawag, the activity aimed to create partnership with LGUs and the
academe in delivering the programs and services by means of putting up help
desk in the municipalities for the easy access of OFW children's concerns.

For the part of the academe, it is stipulated in
the MOA that they should be responsible in providing quality education, as well
as providing spiritual and moral guidance to children of the OFWs.

The event was graced by OWWA Administrator
Carmelita Dimzon including government executives from different municipalities
spearheaded by Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny T. Pimentel. Leaders of the academe
from different schools in Caraga region also witnessed the event.

In his message, Gov. Pimentel expressed his
appreciation and gratitude to OWWA for crafting essential documents that will
be helpful to OFWs for their safety while working abroad, enhance their welfare
benefits and protection services to their families, and establish safety
passages in their coming home after expiration of their contracts.

"OWWA's recognitions to the local participation
in pursuing and bringing its program and services closer to its OFWs members,
and the recognition of LGU's support on its responsibility to provide immediate
and appropriate assistance would mean that there is a proper coordination
between the agency and the LGUs,” Pimentel said.

With these developments, Lumawag is hoping that
the partnership with LGUs and the academe will continue to prosper in an effort
to provide the dependents of OFWs quality education for their future.
(RER/PIA-Caraga)

BFAR-Caraga information officer Shane Abeguel
Eviota said the project primarily aims to assist local residents who are
interested to get into fishery as a livelihood opportunity but don’t have the
capacity to obtain fingerlings of different species.

The official said the project will benefit the
local residents since they can get fingerlings from the said hatchery for free.

Through the project, Eviota said it’s easy for
them (local residents) to look for fingerling types of their choice, aside from
the fact that they don’t need to go to commercial suppliers and buy
fingerlings.

(Because of the project, local residents in the
area will not find hard looking for fingerlings because they can get it for
free… so they don’t need to go to any commercial suppliers and buy for it).

With these developments, the official is urging
the local residents of the town to avail services offered by the fish hatchery
through BFAR-Caraga for their livelihood.

This effort of the region’s fisheries bureau
strongly supports the economic development program of the Aquino administration
towards poverty alleviation which is embodied in the Philippine Development
Plan for 2011-2016. (RER/PIA-Caraga)

.

Caraga risk reduction council emphasizes role of
responsible officer, agency during disaster

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

LIPATA, Surigao City, May 10 (PIA) -- With the
recently released Memorandum Circular No. 04 series 2012 by the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) implementing guidelines
in the use of Incident Command System (ICS) as an on-scene disaster response
and management mechanism under the Philippine DRRM System, the Caraga RDRRMC
emphasized delegation of authority and management by objectives to the
responsible officer/agency during any incident or disaster in the region.

During the five-day Basic/Intermediate Course on
the Incident Command System at the Almont Beach Resort here, Region XI Regional
Director Liza Mazo said it is very important that the participants of said
training be oriented on the delegation of authority, scope of authority, and
desc types of policies and guidelines of agencies that influence management of
incident or event activities.

“In ICS, the Incident Commander’s scope of
authority is derived from existing laws and agency policies and procedures,
and/or through a delegation of authority from the responsible official,” said
Mazo.

A delegation of authority may not be required if
the incident commander is acting with his or her existing authorities,
meanwhile, it is needed when the incident is outside the Incident Commander’s
home jurisdiction; when the incident scope is complex or beyond existing
authorities; and if it is required by law or procedures.

Mazo further bared that the elements in
delegating authority should include: legal authorities and restrictions;
financial authorities and restrictions; reporting requirements; demographic
issues; political implications; agency on jurisdictional priorities; plan for
public information management; process for communications; and plan for ongoing
incident evaluations.

“Within his or her scope of authority, the
Incident Commander establishes incident objectives, then determines strategies,
resources, and ICS structure,” Mazo said.

The ICS is a standard, on-scene, all-hazard incident
management concept that can be used by all DRRMCs/emergency management and
response agencies.

ICS is managed by objectives and these
objectives are communicated throughout the incident planning process.
(RER/JPG/PIA-Caraga)

.

OWWA-Caraga intensifies education program of OFW
dependents

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) –- The Overseas
Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Caraga is strengthening the education
program of the children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in the region.

In a press conference on Tuesday held in time
with the 30th anniversary of OWWA, Dr. Marietta Lumawag, OWWA-Caraga Regional
Director emphasized the need to strengthen the education of the children of
OFWs.

The official said because of this, a memorandum
of agreement was signed between OWWA-Caraga and eight local government units
(LGUs) of the region, as well as some 12 academic institutions to ensure that
whatever assistance needed by the students will be properly addressed.

Lumawag stressed the establishment of OWWA help
desk in the said LGUs academic institutions highlighted in the agreement.

“It is really our desire to help the children of
the OFWs who are studying in the academic institutions in the region as they
were left behind by their parents who are working abroad,” Lumawag said.

Meanwhile, OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon
graced and personally witnessed the agreement signing of the three parties.

In her speech, Dimzon said the initiative of
OWWA-Caraga is the first to be implemented in all the regional welfare offices
in the country.

“I am so overwhelmed of what OWWA-Caraga has
accomplished… This is also the reason why I personally visited and celebrate
the 30th anniversary of OWWA… I also want to witness how the program was
implemented in the region… hopefully this will be replicated in other regions,”
she said.

The OWWA chief also expressed gratitude for the
support of the LGUs and the academic institutions for the success of the
program. She said there is a need for the government to partner with public and
private stakeholders for the development of the students who are children of
OFWs.

“We in the government cannot do the development
alone… we need the support of stakeholders especially in the LGUs and academe
to put our plans and programs in place,” Administrator Dimzon said.

Accordingly, school administrators and guidance
counselors have already expressed appreciation and welcomed this step as a
timely response to address the special needs of the OFW’s children.

Also present in the event are school
administrators of Father Saturnino Urios University, Caraga State University,
Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, Agusan National High School, Southern
Technical Institute of the Philippines, De La Salle-John Bosco College, Andres
Soriano College, Saint Michael College of Caraga, Saint James National High
School, Carmen Academy, Saint Paul University-Surigao City Campus, and
Philippine Normal University-Agusan del Sur Campus. (RER/PIA-Caraga)

.

PRO-13 augments personnel in BCPO

By PSupt Martin M Gamba

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- Police Regional
Office (PRO)-13 has assigned 31 police officers to Butuan City Police Office
(BCPO) to comply with the basic policy on maintaining of at least 21 personnel
in every police station, pursuant to Special Orders Number 282.

PRO-13 Regional Director PCSupt Reynaldo S Rafal
said the personnel will be distributed to different police stations in Butuan
City to provide police service to the residents in the city.

Rafal also emphasized that the newly-downloaded
personnel will help their colleagues in BCPO in maintaining the peace and order
situation in their area of responsibility.

The official said the Philippine National Police
(PNP) re`ognizes the need to deploy additional personnel to the streets to
maintain peace and order and to cater public safety concerns.

With this, the official is looking forward to
resolve issues pertaining to peace and security in the city. It can be recalled
that series of crimes happened which alarmed residents here, resulting to the
deployment of PRO-13 personnel to augment the manpower complement of the city
police. (RER/NCLM/PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- Regional Director
PCSupt Reynaldo S Rafal commended the personnel of Police Regional Office 13
for being true to its commitment to preserve and protect the environment and
heed the call for Pulis Makakalikasan: 10 Milyong Puno Pamana sa Kinabukasan,
which was personally initiated by Police Director General Nicanor Bartolome in
support to the National Greening Program of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

A humble contribution to mitigate the effects of
climate change, the achievement of Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 is an
important milestone in tree planting program of the organization after having
been planted for three months and six days a total of 101,691 or 33.16 percent.

The trees planted are one third of the regional
quota for the whole year.

Since its promotion, the personnel of this PRO
constantly conducted tree planting activities in various government and private
owned lands.

Meanwhile Police Regional Office (PRO)-13 Dir.
Reynaldo Rafal said he is proud for a job well done by his personnel and urged
them to continue doing their best and to reach the maximum percentage of the
tree planting activity not only in compliance of the PNP national orders but to
give hope for a better future to the community of Caraga region.
(RER/NCLM/PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

.

DAR to turn-over P1.3M potable water system
project in Surigao del Sur

Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO)
Benjamin Mataksil said the project, which will benefit more than 700
households, is located in Barangay Adlay, Carrascal town, 72 kilometers north
of Tandag City.

He explained that under DAR’s supervision, the
project will be implemented by the local government unit (LGU) of Carrascal.

It was learned that since the ‘90s, Carrascal
has always been a recipient of multi-million peso worth of DAR-funded programs
and projects. These include d`e P30 million Barangay Panikian Irrigation
project and the P3 million per barangay farm-to-market roads (FMRs), apart from
lots of livelihood projects. (NGBT/DXJS Radyo Ng Bayan-Tandag)

.

DENR urges fishermen to help protect environment

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The regional office
of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has urged
the fishermen to help protect the environment so that marine life will continue
to thrive in the area.

This developed after concerned government
agencies confirmed that illegal fishing is still happening in the coastal
provinces of the region.

According to Eric Herzon Gallego, DENR-Caraga
information officer, mangroves are very important for fishes as this served as
their home. He added if mangrove trees are abundant in a certain coastal area,
“this means that all types of fishes are also abundant.”

The official further said in Caraga Region, the
two provinces of Surigao are known to have abundant mangrove forests. In Agusan
del Norte, the coastal areas of Cabadbaran City, Tubay, and municipalities
along the Lake Mainit are known to have mangrove trees grown.

However, Gallego said in Barangays Masao and
Lumbocan here, have less mangrove trees as these are cut down and used as
firewood by people in the area.

Because of this, the official enjoins fishermen
and the general public to take care of the mangrove trees as a way of
protecting the environment and natural resources.

According to Philippine Clearing House Mechanism
for Biodiversity, earlier literatures have reported that mangrove areas are
found in Palawan, Aurora, Isabela and Quezon in Luzon, Aklan, Samar provinces
in the Visayas, and Zamboanga, Surigao and Sulu provinces in Mindanao, with the
largest remaining mangroves areas located in Mindanao (112,745 has), Samar
(65,119 has), Palawan (37,432) and Luzon (16,769 has).

The largest mangrove areas are found in Regions
IV-B, Region VIII, CARAGA and Region VII. Palawan (52, 693 hectares) in Region
IV-B appears to have the largest mangrove area, followed by Northern Samar (9,
961.69) in Region VIII, Surigao del Sur (16,865.14) in Region XIII, and Bohol
(14,156.37) in Region VII (DENR-PAWB-CMMO, 2008). (RER/PIA-Caraga)

.

City gov’t to conduct probe on fire in Butuan

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, May 10 (PIA) –- Butuan City Vice
Mayor Atty. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun said the city government will conduct an
investigation after a fire razed down at least five establishments here early
morning on Wednesday.

The official said he has already instructed
concerned officials and personnel from the city government to conduct an
investigation on the incident, which killed at least 17 sales ladies of Novo
Jeans and Shirts store.

Fortun also said the city government will extend
financial assistance to families of the victims, especially to the three
survivors who sustained minor burns ad injuries in the arms presently confined
in a hospital here.

Also, City Councilor Ryan Anthony Culima said
the management of Novo Jeans Store must also be investigated. He questioned the
company’s policy of allowing their workers to sleep over.

The official said should the store management be
found to have violated labor laws, they must face the legal consequences.

In an earlier interview, Mylene Tulo, one of the
three survivors said there were at least 21 of them staying on the third floor
of the building when the fire broke out. She also said that along with her two
co-workers, they managed to jump from the second floor of the building.

Tulo further said they wanted to rouse others
from sleep but the fire spread out so quickly and thick smoke had covered the
whole second floor. She also said the area was also dark.

Meanwhile, personnel of the City Engineering
Office have started to remove the debris hours after the fire was declared
under control by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Also, elements of the Scene of the Crime
Operatives (SOCO) had retrieved the 17 bodies of the personnel of Novo Jeans’
store, who were burned beyond recognition.

In a related development, the city government
has put up an assistance center with personnel of the BFP, and the City Social
Welfare and Development (CSWD) giving advise and conducting debriefing to
families of thu&victims.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the SOCO was already
processing the bodies. (RER/PIA-Caraga)

Kining lima nga gihatagan og priyoridad nga mga
proyekto para sa mga mamuhunan ang a) establishmentof the CTI-Philippines
Endowment Fund; b) designing a coastal and marine-based payment for ecological
services; c) reversion of abandoned, unutilized and undeveloped fishponds into
mangrove forest as a climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy; d)
enchancement of the monitoring system through the establishment of national
coastal and marine database through an integrated information management
system; e) and the establishment of a national integrated coastal and
management program to develop the country’s coastal arenas and improve the
quality of life in coastal communities.

"The bill is a priority measure of the
administration that has hurdled a significant step in the legislative process.
The initiatives to reform the excise tax system started 15 years ago and it is
only under this administration, with the President’s firm leadership, that such
a legislative measure has been approved," matud ni Lacierda.

"The rationale for reform is clear. This
measure seeks to help fund public healthcare, which is a key thrust in the
administration’s drive for inclusive growth," matud pa ni Lacierda.

"This is a testimonial to the close
cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. We
look forward to the legislative deliberations in plenary where we hope the
majority of Representatives will stand alongside their colleagues who support
fiscal reform," ingon ni Lacierda. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)